Plea for contempt action against ND Tiwari

A 31-year-old man, claiming to be the biological son of leader ND Tiwari, on Wednesday moved the Delhi HC for initiation of contempt proceedings against the leader after he refused to undergo the DNA test to ascertain his claim.

New Delhi: A 31-year-old man, claiming to
be the biological son of veteran Congress leader N D Tiwari,
on Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court for initiation of contempt
proceedings against the leader after he refused to undergo the
DNA test to ascertain his claim.
85-year-old Tiwari, who was earlier asked by the High
Court and the Supreme Court to give blood sample as evidence
in the paternity suit, earlier, refused to appear and undergo
the test saying "nobody can be pressurized to give evidence in
this manner."

Seeking initiation of contempt proceedings against
Tiwari, Rohit Shekhar said "despite clear and specific orders
of the High Court, directing the defendant (Tiwari) to furnish
blood samples for the DNA test, he has refused to do so."

The application, which is likely to be heard tomorrow,
said "by non-appearance on June 1, Tiwari has willfully
disobeyed orders of the court. The petitioner (Rohit) further
submits that in the light of advanced age of the contemnor
(Tiwari) such delaying tactics and continuous blatant
disregard of the orders of the courts may result in the entire
suit becoming infructuous."
Earlier, Tiwari, who was to appear before the Joint
Registrar, moved an application saying he cannot be forced to
appear and give his blood sample to decide the case.

It said no courts had asked Tiwari to give his blood
sample "compulsorily" to decide the paternity suit.

Tiwari, who had held the post of chief minister of
undivided Uttar Pradesh and later of Uttarakhand, along with
Rohit Shekhar and his mother Ujjwala Sharma was ordered
to appear and give their blood samples.

Rohit had vehemently opposed the plea of Tiwari saying
the Congress leader was "trying to wriggle out of the judicial
proceedings in an unfair manner."

Tiwari, who had held several top posts at the Centre,
quit as Andhra Pradesh Governor in December 2009 following
allegations of his involvement in a sex scandal.

On a paternity suit by Rohit, a single-judge bench of
the Delhi High Court had on December 23 last year asked Tiwari
to undergo the DNA test for ascertaining the veracity of
Rohit`s claim that he is Tiwari`s biological son.

Refuting Rohit`s claim, Tiwari had challenged the high
court`s single-judge bench order before its division bench,
which too had rejected his appeal, following which he had
moved the apex court on February 28.

But the apex court too had on March 14 refused to stay
the high court`s order for his DNA test. However, in a relief
to him, the court had said the result of the test will not be
made public unless it is required.